


thoughts louder than music

by Anna_banana



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Clubbing, Drinking, Gay Bar, M/M, One Shot, Romain and Checo are besties, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23106487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anna_banana/pseuds/Anna_banana
Summary: “Well it’s quite embarrassing really,” he begins to explain, “but my friend was going to come over and I figured it would be better to be rejected in person.”“Who said I would reject you?”“Um, look at yourself?”- Or the one where Romain goes to a bar with Checo and Guti and has to ask the man he's been looking at out, before Checo does it for him.
Relationships: Esteban Gutiérrez/Sergio Pérez, Romain Grosjean/Kevin Magnussen
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	thoughts louder than music

**Author's Note:**

> Probably a billion things I was meant to write but the lack of driver content during the winter means I guess they weren't the only ones to take a break (whoops). Kudos to all you legends who kept producing fic to keep us entertained <3

The music is so loud the floor is practically vibrating. Of all the bars he can remember going to recently this is the worst one by far. By this time of night Romain would normally be fast asleep. He has absolutely no idea why Checo invited him here.

“Why are we in this bar specifically?” he yells and even at a reserved table that’s on the second level of the club, he is still struggling to make out his own voice, let alone anyone else’s.

Checo begins to go through the story of how he and Guti met, something about him being on a stag night and Guti being dragged to the bar with his uni friends. What starts as a simple explanation of their meeting quickly becomes the entire story of their relationship wrapped in a soliloquy about just how incredible Esteban is. Romain glances over forlornly at the bar, while he is very happy for the two it’s not exactly the most delightful conversation to have when you have no one to brag about in return. Guti is still standing waiting to be served and knowing his quiet nature, it could be some time before he comes back and by this point Romain quite desperately needs a drink. 

Romain’s gaze over to the bar seems to have caused Checo to do the same. The difference is however that Checo is gazing soppily over at his boyfriend- and possibly looking at his arse, which Romain doesn’t want to think about, or subconsciously end up looking as well and end up getting smacked in the face by his best friend. 

“Wait a second,” Romain says, a thought having just occurred to him, “how come you two invited me out tonight anyway?”

Checo begins to talk about how he needs to get back out their yadda yadda and that had been what he himself was thinking when he reluctantly agreed to go out in the first place. Unfortunately however that doesn’t explain one thing.

“How come you guys didn’t invite anyone else?”

At that Checo goes quiet for a moment before beginning to ramble out an explanation. That split second pause however tells Romain all he needs to know.

“Guti told you to because he feels sorry for me didn’t he.”

Checo doesn’t actually have time to answer as he notices his boyfriend heading back from the bar, waving him over but the sheepish look on his face gave the answer for him. The pair at the table take their drinks with a thanks. Sipping from his drink, Romain lets the couple lead the conversation, half listening as he decides to scan along the crowd. If he’s going to get a pity invite to a bar after his mostly amicable divorce then the least he can do is make the most out of it.

Now despite being bi, it’s pretty much never that Romain has been to an actual gay bar. His life has mostly spanned a couple of long term relationships with people he met spontaneously and women have always just seemed, well, simpler. Scanning through the crowd there are a lot of undeniably attractive men but most of them just seem to be the same, carbon copies that while admittedly attractive, just don’t do much to catch his eye. Whether looking at men or women, his friends have always described him as fussy. Right now, Romain doesn’t think he could exactly dispute that belief.

Romain is almost about to give up looking when finally he clocks a guy standing at the bar. From a distance the man looks at least a little smaller than him, with a pale complexion and light blond hair. What really captures Romain’s attention however is the tattoos. While Romain has never had any major interest in tattoos himself and never really considered them as especially attractive, these ones seem practically made to be on their owner. As the man stands with his back leaning on the bar, sipping his drink, it is impossible not to notice the way his shirt has been styled to compliment the designs perfectly. His white long sleeved shirt is rolled up so the design on his arm peeks out. The show stealer of the look however has got to be the chest tattoo that is revealed by the tantalisingly opened top buttons. While it is hard to make out the full design from this far away, what can be seen of the wings is absolutely breathtaking. Romain is so distracted in fact, that it takes Guti actually clearing his throat at him, for Romain to remember that he’s with company.

“What are you looking at?” Guti yells.

This causes Romain to startle, worried that they’ll be overheard before he remembers exactly how loud this place is. Apparently his distraction was so great that he even managed to zone out from the ear battering music.

Before Romain can answer the question, Checo decides to lean over him, trying to follow where his line of sight would have been going.

“Blondie?” He asks with a smirk, and Romain’s blush, dark enough to be seen in the atmospheric lighting of the room, answers the question for him. 

This causes Guti to also be able to look over and figure out who it is they’re looking at. Once Guti has taken a look at the guy, him and Checo speak almost simultaneously.

“He’s cute.”

“You should go talk to him.”

Romain smiles quickly at Guti before levelling a glare at his partner.

“Absolutely not, he’s bound to be with someone anyway.”

“I can ask him if he’s single or not?” 

This causes Romain and Checo to start arguing, Guti occasionally trying to intervene but mostly just sipping his drink and ignoring them. Just as he considers leaving them to go dance, things seem to be settled.

“Ask him out or I’ll do it for you.” Checo says finally and Romain pales.

Glaring at his friend and swearing more than his boss Gunther, Romain stands up and makes his way slowly to the bar, knowing fine well that Checo really wasn’t kidding. By the time he gets there he looks over and sees that the man has nearly finished his current drink. Resolute, he takes a deep breath and walks over.

“Let me buy you a drink?” he asks. 

In any other instance Romain might consider looking away, embarrassed but instead he finds himself unable to look away from bright blue eyes that are in front of him, meeting his own gaze piercingly.

“You’re forward,” comes the purred response, an attractive smirk on the man’s face and Romain pales.

With anyone else, Romain would at least consider the notion that the heated response was a positive one but instead, nerves cause the Frenchman to flush embarrassedly. 

“Well it’s quite embarrassing really,” he begins to explain, “but my friend was going to come over and I figured it would be better to be rejected in person.”

The explanation comes out of his mouth in a jumbled blur and the other man can’t help but laugh in amusement. Just as Romain is about to run away from the scene, he gets a response. 

“Who said I would reject you?” Comes the response and Romain has to physically stop himself opening his mouth in shock. 

“Um, look at yourself?” He replies and the look on the other man’s face goes almost soft in result.

Despite being someone who is bound to be used to being complimented, the honesty of the response seems to take him back for a second.

“I’m Kevin,” he says finally, “And I’ll take a vodka coke please. You are?” The smirk flits back onto his face but now Romain is beginning to pick up on it’s flirtiness.

Finally with a name to be able to put to the gorgeous face, he can’t help but smile brightly in response. “I’m Romain,” he replies before moving to buy their drinks.

Rather than waiting where he was, Kevin decides to stay next to him and chat while he orders and then pays. As they move to a table together, Romain forgets about everything. The thumping music that means their natural conversational volume is a shout, the drink in his hand, even the reasons he came here in the first place. 

{}

It’s not until Romain gets a text letting him know that Guti and Checo got home safely that he even remembers about his earlier companions. Replying with an affirmation that he just got home as well, Romain decides to ignore the part of the text from Checo that involves a joke about making sure he ‘stays safe’ as well. Instead he focuses on the next most recent message. When Kevin was adding his number into his phone, he also made sure to send a text to himself saying _’hey hot stuff’._

Between that and the fact that the full name has been entered into his contacts- Kevin Magnussen, Romain can’t help but want to celebrate. Now that he’s on his own and back at his flat, he’s free to dance and spin around in glee, only stopping when his drunken wobbling causes him to bump into his drawers with a thud. 

Even that can’t dampen his mood, although it does perhaps dampen his energy when it draws his eyes to the alarm clock, now displaying that it’s after 3 in the morning. Getting ready for bed, Romain decides to send one more text. _‘Are you referring to yourself or me? ;)’_ After pressing send, Romain switches off his phone and gets into bed, consciousness quickly slipping away. The last thought on his mind before drifting off is that he can’t wait to see the response in the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> I swear I considered making this smut but 99% of time when I write everyone refuses to interact lmao


End file.
